Until the Day I Die
by severelyobscure
Summary: Sequel to 'Dead of the Night' When Jessabell and Eric Northman reunite! ** All chapter titles are from the Sixx:A.M. album "This Is Gunna Hurt"
1. Prologue

My head snaps up, blood dripping down my chin. The whore beneath me lifts her head up and stares at me. "Why did you stop?" She drawls, sticking her lower lip out in a pout. I briefly glance at her before getting to my feet. "Mr. Northman?" She asks meekly.

"Hush," I order, thinking. The room and my mind are silent. There is nothing to be alert for. I sink my knee onto the bed and slowly lower my head to the inside of the woman's thigh. I am about to sink my fangs in when I feel it again. Panic, fear, anger, desperation. I'm out of the door before the hooker can protest my leave.

_I will not make it in time,_ I think with a sense of sickness. Given the distance between the states, there's no possible way I can make it in time. But I run regardless.


	2. This Is Gonna Hurt

I remember a year ago all-too clearly. And it hurts me just the faintest bit as I stare out my window at a spot just under the street lamp. The night is deadly quiet and I find it bidding me to come closer, to envelope myself in it's velvety caress. The clock reads 1:14 AM, the perfect time for ducking out. So I do.

I slip quietly out my grandmother's front door and down her steps. I descend into the street and make my way to the center of town. I'm aiming for the park and wishing, hopelessly, that he's there. But he left a year ago. I was here and he still left. This wasn't his home. He won't be here. I sigh as my heart aches and I reach up to clutch my chest. Ever since my encounter with the beautiful vampire one year ago, my heart has been hurting. Or at least my chest has. I've seen countless doctors and none of them can determine the origins of my pains.

They warn me, again and again, to stay out of stressful situations and to try to not get overly-excited or too surprised.

I guess that's why tonight is an especially bad night for me to be out.

For one, I'm pretty excited with just the mere hope that my vampire will be here. Two, I'm greatly surprised as a few drunk college kids, home for the summer, come running out of the alley way ahead of me. Finally, my stress level sky rockets as I see the way they're looking at me. I could turn and run. But that would just spur the predators in them. It's too late.

"Hey! Do we know you?" One of them, the tallest one, calls out to me. They're already striding towards me, closing the distance before making their kill.

"I... Don't think so." I say back, my voice wavering.

"Yeah, yeah, you're that Neigum girl!" Another calls. He's the beefiest of them and a chill turns my blood to ice because I can tell he's the most inebriated. I swallow and back up. So they know me. Everyone knows everyone in this town. Though I can't pin down who these five are.

"Speaking of," I start, trying to back up faster without tripping over the potholes in the road. "I should be getting back. Grandma will be worried."

"Now, hold up!" They jog up to me, laughing. One of them slings his arm around my shoulders. It's such an innocent gesture, laced with so much promise of pain. I wince. "What's a pretty girl like you doing out and about at this time'a morning?"

I can't speak. I'm deathly frozen.

"Aww. Cat got your tongue? How cute!" The brawny one chortles, curling his fingers - even they have muscles! - under my chin, tilting my face up to him. "I bet you put up quite a fight. Don't you?" His voice is dark and threatening. I yank my face away and try to duck out from under their grabbing, groping arms.

My legs are shaking as I try to run down Main Street. Even if I can get to the grain elevators, I can hide, I'll have a chance of being safe. They catch up to me without even breaking a sweat. They're on me like wolves on a baby elk. I try to shriek but a fist to the ribs knocks all the air out of me. I'm gasping on the street as they tower over me. Tears prick my eyes. I'm so terrified.

A boot connects with my spine and I grunt, it's all the sound I afford to make at this point. The brawny one is on his knees, tugging at my cotton shorts. I whimper and try to pull away, kicking my feet at him. His fingers are dirty and meaty as he shoves two up inside me. I gasp and try to cry out again but the tall one is shoving his fist in my mouth. "Bite down," He warns. "And we'll pound your fucking face in."

My dusty face is streaked with tears and my muffled cries barely echo down the street. I can't breathe. Everything is going darker and darker. "Fuck, man!" The muscled brute grunts. I feel something sticky splat against my calfs. I cry harder as I realize what it is.

One of the boys that had been standing in the background drops his trousers and sinks to his knees before me.

_No..._

I shriek against the fist in my mouth and trash about, making it nearly impossible for the brunette to penetrate me. "Fuck, man! Hold her fucking still!" He grumbles at Muscles. My legs are now pinned and there's a foot on my chest. It hurts. I can't breathe. I'm so scared.

The world is black.


	3. Help Is On the Way

It is nearly dawn by the time I arrive. I should seek shelter but there is a greater need here. I follow her distinctive sweet scent, mared with the pungent smell of men. I find her sprawled in the only empty lot in the small town. The grass and weeds that have been growing there for years conceal her nicely and I would not be able to pick her out if it weren't for her aroma being everywhere. I crouch beside the petite female and press my fingers to her throat. Still warm, still beating, still breathing. I almost sigh with relief; she is alive. I pick her up out of the weeds and cradle her to me like one might with a child.

Her pallor is whiter than my own and if I didn't know better, I would say she looks dead. I glance around. There is no where to take to ground at this time. I ponder the home I used last year but as I passed by it upon entering the town, I could see a family had taken residency there. No point in breaking in. My eyes land on the large grain elevators that dominate the center of this tiny town. In a flash, I am down the road and staring up at what looks like, more or less, giant tin cans. There's a child-size opening about seven feet off of the ground. Slinging the girl over my shoulder, I leap up and grasp the lip of the opening. With ease, I swing the two of us inside.

Save for the rectangular dim light that eked in from the entrance, I am entirely enshrouded in darkness. Perfect. I crouch and slip to the very depths of the elevator until I all I can smell are the rats and mildew. I seat myself on a small pile of dust and grain and lean back against the wall. Against my slight will, I keep the blonde on my lap, allowing her head to rest on my chest, just below my shoulder. Some humane part of me figures she's already been through enough without having to wake up in the bitch black of a grain elevator on the grime of its floor.

I growl under my breath and lean my head back on the wall. It's not the cleanest or the comfiest of places but given my stupid last minute decision to race of Louisiana to North Dakota, I see that I don't really have any choices. Hopefully King Bill doesn't call on me any time soon. The last thing I need is to get an earful from his royal pain in my ass. Peering down at the familiar face of the female I sigh and tear into my wrist. I press it lazily against her barely parted, chapped lips, letting my blood drip slowly into her mouth.

After I feel like I've given her a substantial amount of my blood, I lock my arms around the girl to make sure she doesn't go anywhere while I try to sleep the day away. I close my eyes and allow myself to disappear into a dreamless sleep.


	4. Smile

The first thing I notice is the smell. I bolt upright, the tight confines of my bondage falling away with ease. I want to retch. It's too dark to see anything and it's unbearably hot in here. Too hot to be any sort of modern-day vicinity. I'm on my hands and knees, blindly feeling around. My hands graze over grit and grime and I cringe. I don't know how long I've been here but I have the strong need to shower. The sound of a sigh comes somewhere from behind me to my right and I near about jump out of my skin. I cautiously reach out, my hand flitting gently in the air as I try to make contact with whomever is here in the dark with me. A cold hand grabs my wrist and I shriek.

Barely a sound makes it out of my mouth before another cold hand claps over my mouth and I'm tugged into a vice grip.

"Shut. Up." A voice growls right in my ear. My eyes widen, slowly but surely. _No... It_ can't _be!_ I look up, trying to see the face that I've only dreamt of for a year. Of course, my eyes are no match for this pitch blackness and it's futile to even try and see him. "Do you want someone to come in here and find us? I'll be dragged into the light for looking like a kidnapper. I'll die." I swallow at the harsh truth of his words and slowly shake my head. I don't want to lose him. Not when I've found him after pining for so long.

When his hand slips away from my mouth, I lick my lips and turn in his lap so I am - hopefully - facing him. I reach out and my hands rest on his shoulders. I squeeze and feel my unease ebb out of me at a slow but spectacular rate. "Why are you here?" My voice is barely above a whisper.

"You were in trouble. You'd be dead if I didn't find you."

I almost ask what he's talking about but suddenly the night comes back to me in a such a rush that all my muscles lose strength and I become languid in his arms. I'm terrified. Tears prick my eyes and I bury my face in my grimy hands. I try to keep my sobs to a minimum so as not to alert any of the townspeople passing by. The air is filled with an awkward tension before his hand rests on my back, soothing me. "They..."

"I know." He finishes for me. I think he doesn't want to hear the words more than I don't want to say them. I sob harder. This time his arms tightly encircle me and he rests his chin atop my head. "Shh, Kitten, you're okay now." The old endearment makes my breath hitch before my sobs turn to inconsolable wails. "Jessabell, SHUT UP." He snarls. He turns my head so fast I fear my neck will snap. But he's gentle in his quick movements as he buries my face into his shirt. I can smell the leather of his jacket and the cool, crisp scent of his skin. Together, the familiar aromas work to calm me down. I'm merely hiccuping at this point.

Eric seems satisfied with my lack of noise and he releases his hold on my head so I can pull back and draw in a shaky breath. "How did you know?" I look up at him in the bleakness. I don't bother to wipe my eyes or my nose. I sniff.

"Your blood. Once I've had it. Once you've had mine... We're forever connected. I can feel what you feel, especially your fear, your anger, your sadness."

_I can feel what you feel._ Oh, Lord! I blush instantly and bury my face back in his chest. He chuckles and runs his long fingers through my hair, shorter than it had been a year ago. Does that mean he's felt _everything_ since I've been away?

"Everything." He whispers near my ear. I shudder and pull away.

"I-"

"Kitten," His voice is cool and deadly calm. "I've made no claim on you. You're free to do what you wish. Especially with your body. I understand that once you've been fucked by me, it's hard to get me out of your system, no?" His voice has taken on a tone of wry humor. I scowl and bite my lower lip hard to keep from saying anything that I do not wish to or that I will later regret. "Though, I must say," He continues. "You didn't feel near the passion or euphoria that you did with me, did you?" It's rhetorical and I choose to remain silent.

After a long moment of silence his lips brush against my forehead. "You've healed marvelously well for the injuries you sustained." He murmurs. My face heats and I close my eyes though it doesn't do me any good, I can't even see him with them open! And he's always in my mind's eye. Now, he tells me how he found me, what state I was in, where we are. My breath is so quiet that for a moment I'm afraid I've been holding it.

"Eric," I whisper.

"Hush. You should be getting back home. Your family is worried, you haven't returned to your bed."

"What time is it?"

"Guessing by the heat and how I'm feeling... I'd say around 2 PM."

"Oh, shit," I gasp, scrabbling to my feet. I stop suddenly. "But... I want to see you." I say coyly.

"Kitten," His voice is nothing but a breathy laugh. "I have no intentions of leaving tonight. We shall meet again."

I linger longer, still.

"Afraid?" His words are in my ear. When did he get up?! I can only nod. His hands are in my hair, he's cradling my face. "Ma chérie, do not leave tonight until the clock hits 1:30. I will escort you to our place. You will be safe."


	5. Deadlihood

By the time the sun has set, I am more than ready to leave this musty, pungent place. The scent clings to my skin and clothes like a desperate fang banger. I feel mildly revolted as I slip from the my hidy-hole and drop seven feet to the dirt. I stretch my limbs, grateful to move at my leisure. I remind myself to never set foot in there again. I'd rather not even set a foot in this town, as it has nothing to offer me. _Except for her..._

I close my eyes and picture her golden hair and chocolate stare. I can almost conjure up her intoxicating scent, but it's a little too far from my sense's grasp. I exhale and turn down the street to where I know she resides. I promised the girl a chauffeur, so one she shall get. It's still an hour before I told her I'd be waiting. I take the time to stalk around her grandmother's yard, carefully voiding lit, curtain-less windows. Why are they still up? I wonder wryly to myself. Stupid humans should be asleep by now.

"Eric," Someone hisses my name from above me and I become stock still before slowly turning on my heel. Her window is wide open and she leans out a little ways. She's smiling but there's an air of sadness about her.

"Jess," I nod at her, keeping my voice low.

"I'll be out soon." Her voice is quiet, barely above a whisper. "The're keeping an eye on me after I scared them to death being gone all last night." She offers me an explanation. I cock my head to the side slightly, pulling my hands from my pockets and run one through my hair.

"Got you in trouble, did I?" I smirk.

"You saved my life." Her voice is soft, sweet. I try not to fall victim to it's lullaby like I had last year.

"I don't take kindly to men who force their way."

"Says the vampire _viking_." She teases.

She suddenly ducks back n the window, leaving me to myself. I slide around the large oak tree as I listen to the old bat chastise her granddaughter. I chuckle quietly to myself before slipping into the shadows to busy myself until she's been relinquished. Even down the street, the woman's voice carries. I head into the center of town, looking and listening for certain drunk frat boys. I spot one of them when I hear her call my name. I' at the steps to her door in seconds. She steps back, a little bemused at my sudden entrance.

"Kitten," I breathe, reaching a hand out to her. She's immediately entranced, though her reaction catches me off guard. She's at the bottom step, barely shorter than me, my face is in her hands and her heated lips are hard against mine, crushing for a human. It takes me a moment to respond but I tangle my fingers in her golden tresses and fasten to her to me. Fuck, she tasted delicious.

I groan.

She smirks against my mouth and presses harder as her hands venture to my belt. I immediately yank her hands away and step back, clasping her wrists.

"Are you sick?" My question confuses her and she raises and eyebrow in inquiry. "You're hot," I explain, brushing the tips of my fingers over her forehead, feeling her abnormal heat; like a shifter or a werewolf.

Her brows furrow. "Just a little fever, I guess." She murmurs. I might argue with her if I cared more. But a deep-seated feeling makes me feel a little uneased by her porcelain complexion.

We're silent predators as we stalk through the streets. She's deadly quiet save for her slight pant. I pause but I know I'm not going too fast for her by any means. There's raucous laughter somewhere on Main Street just as we're rounding a building and Jessabell freezes instantly. Before I catch onto their rank stench, the terror in her expression says it all.

I growl as they approach and they freeze in their tracks. Good.


	6. Are You With Me?

My heart lurches in my chest as I recognize the definite raucous calls and laughter of my attackers. Eric seems to instantly know something is wrong because his whole demeanor has changed. He's cold and hard and... _frightening_. I want to withdraw from him but I also know that he is not going to turn his rage on me and if it weren't for him, I might not be alive right now. I have to stick with him regardless of how terrifying his true nature is. I'm clearly not the only one who notices his dark and dangerous countenance. The boys have the rounded the corner and have all come to a dead halt. Their eyes shift between my vampire and me, unsure what to make of this situation.

I recoil as the beefy one steps forward. "Heyyyy," He drawls, drunkenly. "I 'member you. You're that... that girl with that tight, wet-" Before he can even hope to finish his leer, Eric is in front of him, holding him at least 3 feet off the ground by the throat. Muscles makes a gross gurgling sound as he flails to breathe.

"I dare you to finish that." The blonde vampire snarls. His fangs are fully extended. He's pissed. Or hungry. Probably both. The gang stares at the 6'4" viking vampire before one, the scrawny one who took the first turn penetrating me, decides to take action. Big mistake on his part. He lunges at Eric, pocketknife drawn as he lets out a half-assed attempt at a battle cry. Eric swats him away as though he's nothing but a fly. My eyes widen and I step back as Lanky lands a mere 4 feet from me. I don't want to be a part of this. I don't even know if I want to witness this.

"Eric!" I call to him but I don't see if he's turned to me because another one of the boys has broken from the crowd and his standing right in front of me, looming, sneering.

"You fucking bitch. We left you for dead. Are you with this faggot?" He points over his shoulder at Eric who has taken a step near us, keeping a close eye on the boy. I can't think to say anything, so I ball my right hand in a fist and swing, clocking him right in the jaw. He stumbles and reaches for his face while I snarl, "OW!" And rub at my tender knuckles. I was not expecting to feel that myself. Eric has a pleased smile on his face as he stares right into my eyes. I flush and drop my eyes to the few bodies that now litter the street, not a one of them dead. Good. That would start an uprising in town.

I suddenly feel nauseas. "Oh, God." I murmur. This catches the vampire's attention and he's standing right in front of me, one cool hand cupping the side of my face. I look up at his questioning expression. "Eric, they'll tell the town about this tomorrow! You might get run out or even worse..." My words break there and I can feel a panic attack at the peripheral of my body. "And I-"

"Shh, Kitten," He soothes, now cupping my face in both hands. "You don't think I've thought this through? I've been doing this for centuries, I know how to cover my tracks. And you..." He breathes out slowly as he says this, as if the mere thought of me does something to him. "You have nothing to worry about." He leans in and kisses my forehead. So gentle and tender that I stop breathing altogether. "Now stand to the side, please." He releases me and turns to the group.

One by one, he seems to have a talk with each of them. They stare, transfixed into his face and I wonder just what he's telling them? My brows knit together and I try to listen in but Eric speaks so softly I can't even hear a whisper of his words. Within 5 minutes, the boys gather themselves together and shuffle down the road, around a corner, and disappear. Eric is at my side without me even seeing him move; of course, I've almost come to expect that from him now.

"They won't bother you. In fact, they're not even going to know your name or your face." He slips an arm around my shoulder and draws me close to his body as he turns to walk down Main Street again, continuing our journey to 'our place'.

"Oh," I breathe out, looking up at him. "Was that that thing you do? The, uh, the glamouring?" He's surely piqued my curiosity. He only gives me a knowing smirk for a response. I can't help but smile and lean into him as we ease down the gentle slope of the grass into the park. "It feels like it's been forever." I say as he releases me. I look around the area and then turn to look back up at the tall blonde. My heart skids and bumps around in my chest and my cheeks grow hot. He's just staring at me, unmoving. Just... _staring_.


	7. Sure Feels Right

The look of uncertainty and anticipation on her face rouses something primal not seated too far under the surface. I want to be careful with this fawn, this kitten, this _child_. The scent of those men was all over her when I found her this morning. It plastered her, it was buried within her. It was vile and now there was no mistaking what they'd done to her. The anger that comes from that act makes my fangs extend and a growl rumbles low and quiet in my chest. She mistakes this as a gesture towards her and I can see it in her eyes: she's debating whether to step away now or not.

I refrain from chuckling. "Kitten, you haven't seen me at my worst. But I was close back there. If you want to, _run_." It sounds like a fair warning and I can see her take it into consideration. Resolve hardens her mocha hues and she makes a conscious effort to step forward so there is not even an inch of space between my chest and hers. I raise an eyebrow. "I see." This emboldens her and she closes the distance, hooking her fingers through my belt loops. She leans up on her toes and kisses along my jawline. I want to shiver. But even more, I want her to work for this.

Her desire rises and she begins to bite at my chin and along my jaw, alternating between gentle nips and firmer bites. My mouth falls open just a little but thats as far as my visible arousal goes; I suppress a groan as I throb in the confines of my jeans. I remind myself to just wait. I want to see how far she'll take this, how badly she wants me. Her fingers leave my belt-loops as her hands coyly slip under my black shirt. Her fingers splay over my stomach and she digs her thumbs into my hips, massaging the soft, malleable flesh just below my hipbones. My head wants to fall back, I want to get on my knees and let her take control. But I must remain stoic. For now.

Her warm lips have moved to my throat and she's biting harder, more fervently, as her hands trail up my stomach to rest on my chest. She exudes a warm and delicious aroma, much like honey. If I could lap her up... I stifle a growl as I try to keep myself under wraps. But I'm throbbing so hard in my pants, it's nearly painful.

"Eric," She practically moans my name and it is almost my undoing. She's undone my pants and is tugging at the hem of my shirt as she nuzzles my cheek. "Don't you want me?" She whispers. It's almost a plea, but there is the tone of a vixen in there and I have to swallow, hard.

"Jessabell," My voice is a hoarse whisper. I grip her upper arms and hold her at arms length from me. There's a fire in her eyes that I've not yet seen and it is inhuman and so erotic that I could release on spot. All my muscles clench to keep me from doing just that. Because I want to have my way with her. Slow, hard, sensual, raw. "In all my lifetime, I've never experienced so much want." I hiss. My fingertips are digging into her upper arms, bruising her, I'm sure. But I just don't care. Those won't be her only bruises tonight.

In a second, I have her shoved up against a large oak, facing away from me. I can smell her blood as the bark scrapes at her belly. Her pants have been discarded and I have mine down far enough to unsheathe myself. I grab her hips and pull her butt back to my hips so I may grind on her. My length rubs perfectly between her thighs and I can feel her arousal dripping down my shaft. I grunt as I thrust into her. My lips are in her hair, at her neck, on her ear as I breathe hard, cursing her tightness in my native language. I have her hair in one hand to keep the side of her face from rubbing too hard against the trunk of the tree.

But that is the only part of her I want unharmed, I want to claim the rest of her pale form with my marks.

"You are mine," I growl in her ear as I pull out and, agonizingly slowly, sink back into her.


	8. Oh My God

I groan and cry out. I am almost willing to plead with him. But I'm not mewling because I want him to be gentle, but because I do not want him to hold back; especially not for fear of hurting me. "Eric," I whisper. I dare not open my eyes. I don't know if I am afraid of seeing him or of him seeing me but the fear is great enough for me to squeeze my eyes shut tighter. He responds by curling his fingers into a fist in my hair and pulling to tilt my head back. His lips brush against my forehead and my cheek before resting on my neck. My whole body tightens with anticipation for what is to come next.

But it never does.

Eric's lips do not part, his eyes do not open as he continues with his bruising rhythm. It's almost as though he's fallen into a trance, like my body is a lullaby. Suddenly, he stiffens and grows stone-still; only a grunt passes his lips to signify he's spilling himself into me. I moan softly and push back into him just to feel that little jolt as he finishes releasing himself. It's my favorite part. I smile and pull away best I can so I can turn around and face him. He's bent slightly at the waist and bracing himself with his forearm against the trunk as he towers over me. His eyes are barely open but they're glowing brilliantly.

I lean up and kiss his nose. His hand cups the side of my face and holds me close to him as he presses his forehead to mine. "Jess," he whispers, his voice rough. Something about his tone completely catches my attention and the rest of the world falls away, leaving only him and I. He whispers something that only he can make sense of. Though I don't understand the words, they're beautiful all the same and my breath quickens with the heaviness of them. Reaching up, I place a hand over his chest where his heart would beat if he was still alive. His expression changes into something that I cannot name.

"I love you, Jessabell Neigum." He murmurs in the same heavy tone. I've definitely stopped breathing at this point. His eyes are completely open now as he gazes down at me. I'm not sure if he's waiting for a response but my heart is racing so hard in my chest. So hard it hurts. In fact, it _really_ hurts. My hand leaves his chest to grip my own and I sink to my knees in the damp grass, gasping for some relief. Eric adjusts his pants and eases down before me, his blonde brows knitting together with great concern. "Jessabell, what's wrong? Jessabell!"

I can only shake my head to signify that I'm incapable of answering. This is what the doctors wanted me to avoid. But I hadn't felt the pain since Eric's return; I thought it was only pain of loss in his absence. I shake my head harder and cry out as the pain only sharpens. "Eric..." I whimper feebly.

"What do I do?" He demands, gripping my shoulders to keep me upright. "Tell me what I should do!"

"I... Don't... Know..." I slowly manage to gasp out. Maybe my mom might know what to do. But that would mean Eric would have to get her and then she would know I've been out. With this mysterious man nonetheless.

"You smell different," he says after a long pause. I shoot him what I hope is a look of 'What the fuck are you talking about?' It's his turn to shake his head. "No, I know this scent," He continues, almost excitedly. But then his brows furrow. "But that is impossible!" I let out a grunt of frustration. I want to know what is going on. I want to know about this new revelation that is overcoming my vampire. "Come here," he demands and pulls me to him. He buries his nose in my neck and inhales deeply. "I'll be damned," he murmurs as he pulls away.

"What?!" I finally manage to gasp/snap through the pain.

"I know why you're in pain," he says. "I know what you are."


	9. Live Forever

"Wh... What am I?" she manages to gasp. I stare at her, unmoving, trying to wrap my mind around the truth. "...Eric?" She leans forward just the slightest to try and catch my attention.

"I'm sorry," I finally say. My eyes won't meet hers and I can sense her panic rising like bile in her chest.

"Sorry? Why are you sorry? What did you do? _What AM I_?"

I get up to my feet and run my hands through my hair. She can only stare up at me, still paralyzed by the pain in her chest. It grows worse, numbing every other sensation in her body, making my head spin. She feels as though she am going to pass out any moment.

As her Maker, I can feel it.

I kneel beside her once more as she fades in and out of consciousness as her heart slows to a dull stop. "You are a vampire now," I say softly. "You are my prodigy." The look on her face is utter shock and horror as she realizes the truth of my words and the gravity of what has befallen her.

I slowly lie her on the grass before getting back to my feet. I watch over her like a hawk over its fledglings. I will not let her out of my sight from hereon out, that is an oath. My mind races with the speed of light as I travel back over time to when we first met. She intoxicated and allured me from the very beginning and I knew why.

She had vampire blood in her all along. But was also human. She was a halfling, in a limbo between Hell and Purgatory. Now I'd drawn her over to the fiery pits of Satan's home. I'd completed her static state; set everything that stood still in motion. By giving her my blood and taking from her, I'd finished whatever had been started sometime ago.

Jessabell was now making the change from a half-breed to being a full-fledged vampire. I had, essentially, killed her. I'd found delight in taking lives in the past, found something erotic in being Death's messenger. But knowing I'd stopped the beating heart of this girl... I feel positively sick. I groan as I lean down to draw her up into my arms. We must take shelter for the day and I must watch over her as she is now my child. I make way to the grain elevators to settle down.

For once, sleep does not come easily. I am at odds with myself over what I have done and what her first words will be when she awakens to her new life.

When she first stirs, my hands grip her tighter in preparation for her attempt to flee. She flinches a bit and says, "Eric... That hurts." She still sounds as human as ever and for a moment I try to believe that nothing as happened. But the absence of her heartbeat dismays me. I swallow as I slowly release my hold on her. She sits up and glances around the confines of our makeshift coffin. "Is this the grain elevator?" she asks.

I nod.

"Why are we here?" She blinks several times. "It's still night... How long was I out?" She turns to look at me. She's almost glowing in the milky darkness. She's more beautiful than ever. But I cannot say anything. She doesn't seem to realize her situation.

"It's the following night. You slept through the day, Kitten."

She blinks as she tries to understand what I have just told her. "I've been in here... all day?" She scrambles quickly to her feet. "God, Mom must be sick wondering where I am!" She reaches for the boarded door to leave. I am by her side in a flash, pulling her away.

"You cannot go to your mother now, Jess," I say, my voice low as I try to convey how serious I am.

Her lower lip trembles a bit. "... Why not? Is she alright? What happened?" She blinks her large brown eyes at me and I want to melt against her and apologize profusely once more. But I must uphold a strong stature to support her and her new state of being. I cannot respond to her right away. And it is in that millisecond of silence that realization dawns across her pretty face.

"...vampire," she whispers. She quickly withdraws from me and backs up. "I'm a vampire now, you said. You turned me!" Her voice becomes angry and accusatory and I cannot bear to look at her. "You... Eric... What the fuck!" she cries out and steps forward, shoving me hard. I quickly regain my composure so I don't fly out of the grain shaft with her newfound strength.

"You were like this before," I say softly.

"Excuse me?" she snarls. Her fangs have dropped and she looks at me with deadly volition.

"You had a vampire's nature before I met you. You had the undead's blood in your veins before I changed you. That's why you've been experiencing these heart palpitations since we met. I awakened that bond, I strengthened it... And you started to slowly die. The more we shared blood, the stronger Death was within you, the weaker your heart became. The pain was the organ slowly giving out over time."

She stared at me before launching. I couldn't bring myself to stop her and soon I felt the sharpness of her teeth sinking into my jugular. She was full of hunger and rage, and I was her closest outlet.


	10. Goodbye My Friends

As my teeth sink into flesh, I feel euphoric and disgusted with myself all at once. _What am I doing?!_ I want to scream but my mouth is full. Of blood. Eric's blood. I feel like I want to dry heave but at the same time, I am fulfilling a craving that is seeded down to my very core. Eric only groans softly under me as I tear without finesse at his throat. His hands hold my hips as if to keep me at bay and yet... it seems like he wants to keep me close to him. Either way, all I know is that I am hungry and full of rage.

Once I feel as though I get a fraction of my fill, and my anger has subsided a bit, I pull away. I look down at the fellow vampire under me. I am panting as I peer into his deep blue hues. His hands are still at my waist, his fingers gripping tightly. Blood spatters his neck and shirt and the floorboards of the grain shaft. I take all this in in a fraction of a second. At the same time, my brain is going over Eric's earlier words and what I'd been feeling the past year.

Had I been aching so much over the distance between us because he was slowly becoming my maker? Had we formed such a bond in such a small time? And that is why I had so often felt like I was having a heart attack; because my heart was literally shutting down? I scramble off the viking as I try to take all this in. I am nearly hyperventilating as I attempt to wrap my mind around everything.

We'd only been fucking! We only fell in love! We weren't... this wasn't how it was supposed to be! I was just a human girl that stupidly stumbled across a vampire on a humid summer night. I had always been human. I had never encountered another of his kind before... Had I? I try to remember everything of my past but my head starts to burn and I snarl, backing away as Eric reaches for me.

"Jess," he barely murmurs my name, beckoning for me to come near. But I want nothing to do with him right now. He's taken everything away from me after all! I tell him this. His brows furrow with dismay and hurt and he drops the hand he'd been holding out to me. "I know," he finally says.

"I want to go home," I say. "I want to see my mom."

"You can't." He steps toward me and I flinch away. But he advances until his strong hands are on my shoulders and he's holding me so tight it almost hurts. But I know that this is his way of conveying to me the gravity of my newfound angst. "She can't know what you are."

"She won't!" I cry out, swatting at him to get him to release me. He doesn't move and so I growl. He seems unfazed. "I'm not going to tell her! I won't show her! I'm still her little girl! NOTHING HAS CHANGED."

Suddenly, Eric's hand claps over my mouth and he's turned me so my back is fastened to his chest. "Someone is going to hear you," he growls lowly in my ear.

"Let them," I hiss into his palm.

"Do you want someone to find you and discover our kind? Do you want them to experiment and torture you and me? This state is not ready for that kind of horror, Jessabell. You were hardly ready for it yourself. You can't even handle the truth right now! Imagine how the rest of this town, this _state_ will react. And your mother? She will know what you are. Because you can no longer experience the day time. You cannot ever see the sun or you will burst into flame. Is _that_ how you want her to remember her 'baby girl'?" I remain silent as I think all this over. "I didn't think so," Eric says before giving me a push away.

I turn back to look at him, feeling tears roll down my cheeks. Except that they're not rolling... they're _oozing_. I reach up to wipe them away and mutter 'Oh, god,' when I see just what they really are. Blood. I am crying blood. I whimper this before sinking to my knees. Eric looks at me a long moment before kneeling in front of me.

He says, "This is normal." Reaching out, he uses his thumb to wipe the blood away. He then licks his fingers. My mouth curls into a look of disdain. He chuckles. "I've had your blood before, you know. This is no different."

"This is different, though," I protest softly. "This blood is... it's _tainted_."

"Tainted with what? My blood? We've shared it before. You've tasted me before. I've been coursing through you for a year now. Tell me, how are you tainted?"

"Because... Because I'm not human anymore!" I cry.

"You taste the same," he offers gently. "You look the same. You smell the same. You sound the same. You are hardly any different than you were before. You've just found the second half of your true nature."

"I'm a _vampire_," I hiss. The final word tastes toxic as I say it.

Eric picks up on this. "So now you've decided we're disgusting creatures?" He sounds angry.

"No but I am."

Eric moves quickly, pulling me into his lap and cradling me like he would a small child (if he liked children). "Kitten," he breathes into my hair. "You are just as beautiful as ever. You are resilient and this will only strengthen you. You are faster and stronger. You are now a huntress in the night. You own the night. You are a goddess. And this does not change my earlier words."

I am silent as I try to think of which earlier words he is referring to.

"I love you," he whispers, kissing the top of my head. I shiver with his words and curl up tighter in his arms. "I will teach you how to handle yourself. I will keep you safe from yourself and others. You are my child, my lover. This changes nothing. Except that we are now tied forever."

_Forever..._ Now, I will never lose Eric. I will never grow old without him. I will never release him to the day. I will be by his side for all of eternity. I don't have to worry about illness or death or fear and loss of control. Eric has literally given me everything.

Who could be too angry about that?


	11. Lies of the Beautiful People

There is something sensual about stalking the night with her. The way she moves; stealthy and lithe. The way she smells; dark and sweet. The way she looks; glowing and lethal. And the way she tastes... I cannot get enough. I grab her for what can only be the 100th time tonight and I pull her to me, devouring her mouth with mine. She moans softly into my mouth and melts her petite, pliable body against my stiff form. My hands are in her hair as her fingertips dig into my waist with bruising pressure.

"The night is beautiful," she murmurs against my mouth. "It's like I'm seeing it for the very first time."

"Welcome to your new life. Everything is different now." I kiss her forehead, keeping my hands entangled in her hair as I look down at her. She looks up at me soft, almost sad. "I hope you know that I don't take this situation lightly," I try to assure her. "A Maker's bond with his child is one of the most powerful relationships in this world. You are now bound to me in more ways than you can imagine."

"Okay..." she whispers, still peering up at me. Yet she doesn't sound certain.

"It's a lot to get used to but I won't leave you to go at it alone if you don't want me to," I say.

She says, "I don't _ever_ want you to leave me, Eric." She bites her lower lip and nestles her face into my chest. She inhales deeply, taking in my scent and committing it to memory. I tighten my embrace, cradling her to me.

"Then I won't."

I can feel her smile through my shirt. But I can also feel the wet stain of her bloodied tears. I cradle her face in both my hands and tilt her face back to look at her. "Why are you crying?"

"I'm scared," she whispers. "And I feel bad... Just leaving my family like this."

I know she loves them and they all have a close bond. But I cannot fathom the sadness she is feeling; it's not in my nature. And after time, it will no longer be in hers.

I remain quiet for quite some time as I brush her tears from her face, marring her cheeks with scarlet. "Would it..." I begin, trying to choose my words carefully. "... help if you were able to say goodbye?"

She chokes out a sob, surprising me. I want to comfort her but I'm not sure how.

"That will just be worse. I'm terrible at goodbye's!" she cries out between her choking tears. "I can picture the look on Mom's face and it just breaks my heart! I don't want to leave!" Though she is acting like a child, I try to understand where she is coming from. Until she met me, her family was all she'd ever known. And I was taking her away from that.

"I'm sorry." It is all I can manage to say as I pull her in close to me.

"Isn't there a way I can still be in their lives?" she asks feebly.

"No, I'm afraid there's not."

"But-"

"I said NO!" I roar, yanking her to an arm's length away. She looks bewildered, like a fawn in headlights, as she looks back at me. I've never yelled at her before. But I have no way of getting through to her the changes that are now taking place in her life.

She scowls and pulls away. "Screw you, Northman," she mutters bitterly. She takes off running before I can react to her emotions.

"Shit..." I mutter before running after her. I know exactly where she's headed. And in human terms, shit will hit the proverbial fan if she gets there before I do.

As I happen upon her Grandmother's home, I can hear her inside, talking to her mother.

"Fuck," I growl as I stalk around outside. I have no way of getting in and stopping her. Unless they invite me in. Her grandmother is a stubborn broad; I don't have a chance of that unless I glamor her.

"Mom, _please_," I can hear Jess begging inside. I pause outside the window to listen.

"I don't know what to say!" her mother responds frantically. "There's blood all over your face and your clothes! You look like hell, Jess! What happened out there?"

"Mom, please don't call the cops, it's _O.K._"

"This is not okay!" Her grandmother chimes in gruffly. I frown. I need to get in there before she does anything stupid. I race to the front door and ring the bell.

Jessabell is there, glaring at me.

"What are you doing?" I hiss.

"Saying goodbye," she responds venomously. "But in my own way. Now go away!" She moves to slam the door but my foot blocks it.

"As your Maker..." I begin.

"Oh, shut up!" she growls and gets the door shut with a final shove. I could finish my command if I want to but I hold back. Her grandmother and mother have come to the foyer to see who was calling at the door. "Just some guy."

"Is this a guy you've been running around with?" her grandmother demands to know.

"Ye- No! No, he's not. I just ran into him... It's nothing... Mom, can I talk to you alone? Please?"

Jess' mom must have given her own mother a look because I can hear the crone huff off.

"Mom... Remember that silly talk on the news of vampires?"

"Yeah. Just like the zombies in Florida, right?"

"No, but this is different. It's nation... No, it's _global_, Mom! And it's real."

Her mother snorts. "As real as werewolves, I assume?"

Jessabell pauses as she thinks this over. I'll have to disclose that information to her later.

"I don't know but vampires are real, Mom. I met one."

I steel myself for what is to come. This is going to end poorly.

"See?"

I hear a gasp and I throw open the door to see Jess' fangs extended and her mother looking at her with horror and shock. After prolonged, tense silence, her mother proceeds to shock me.

"Are those...real?" Without waiting for an answer, she reaches forward and curiously runs her finger over her daughter's new canines.

"Yeh," Jessabell tries to say even with her mouth agape.

They both suddenly turn to look at me.

"This is Eric, Mom. He's going to protect me and show me how to do this and control myself." When Jess' eyes fall on me, they're softer now and I know she's no longer angry. She turns back to her mother. "I can't stay with you, Mom. I have to go off and do... vampire things. I'm dangerous right now. Not only to you but everyone else and myself. But... if you'll let me... I'll come visit." She's offering this treaty softly, full of hope, weary even.

I stare, feeling my own muscles tense under the wait for the woman's word. She turns to look at her daughter and her face crumbles.

"Oh, honey..." She draws her daughter into a tight embrace, running her hand over her hair repeatedly. "I love you no matter what. I always have and I always will. No matter what or where you are, who you're with, or what you do. I love you, Jessabell."

Her mother releases her and nods at me with a queer understanding. I only nod back before stepping back and waiting at the bottom of the stairs of the porch. It isn't long before Jessabell is by my side, slipping her hand into mine in a show of joining.

She exhales heavily. "Ready to show me the world, Eric Northman?"

I smirk as I rise into the air, taking her with me. "More ready than you, I'm sure."

She returns my smirk, her dark eyes glinting under the North Dakota moon. "I think you underestimate me."


End file.
